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In a city full of franchised coffee shops on every corner of the city, finding a good local shop that serves quality coffee and food can be a treasure.

Sweet Butter Kitchen is one of those treasures.

Locals of Sherman Oaks and Studio City have enjoyed this romantic and rustic style marketplace for a long time; in fact they celebrated their five-year anniversary on Nov. 23.

Sweet Butter Kitchen has been a popular spot on south of Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks for the past five years. Photo credit: Roza Asgharzadeh

“We had a birthday cake,” manager of one year Cassie Schwartz said smiling.

Leslie Danelian and her husband originally ran the shop together. However, Danelian’s husband died three months ago after a battle with brain cancer, leaving her daughter, Emily Smith, to take over the shop.

The shop offers breakfast, brunch, lunch and, of course, baked goods.

Their brunches are popular, and if you want to go on a Sunday be early because the place gets packed fast, and the wait can be up to an hour long.

Schwartz recommended coming during weekdays if you want to get a table fast and enjoy some tranquility at the shop.

If they could choose a signature dish it would be the pancakes, Schwartz said,

“They are absolutely delicious. Also our donut muffins,” she added.

But they are also known for their scrambles, salads and sandwiches.

Their coffee is robust and flavorful, and although a bit expensive compared to Starbucks coffee, here you get as many refills as you’d like during your stay. Schwartz walked around filling the patrons’ cups every so often.

They have two variations of the French oven baked sandwich dish. The sandwich options are the Croque Madame for breakfast and Croque Monsieur for lunch. For those who haven’t had it, it’s a must.

They are ham and cheese sandwiches covered with béchamel sauce and more cheese baked in an oven. The addition of a fried egg on top makes it a Madame. The Croque Madame at Sweet Butter is very filling due to the ingredients. So if you’re not used to heavy food this dish might be good for sharing. The zesty arugula salad side it comes with adds a great contrast to the dish.

Croque Madame, a French oven baked sandwich full of cheese, ham, and béchamel sauce, perfect brunch dish. Photo credit: Roza Asgharzadeh

Although the majority positively rave about Sweet Butter Kitchen, the reviews on Yelp are mixed. People have complained about the food being under seasoned, dishes coming out with sloppy presentations, and having to sit through long waits.

No, the food isn’t exceptionally good. It’s just good. The prices aren’t high, but they aren’t cheap either.

What makes this place really special is its overall package. The ambience is delightful, the service is good, people whom come to Sweet Butter seem generally happy, and the food tastes homemade. It’s a place you can bring your children to because it feels like a magical candy store, a place to go to with your significant other and have a romantic morning brunch, or simply catch up with an old friend over a cup of coffee.

Sweet Butter Kitchen is located on 13824 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks and is open Monday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.